


"He would come back, if you ask him."

by Stories_can_make_us_fly



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:55:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22035898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stories_can_make_us_fly/pseuds/Stories_can_make_us_fly
Summary: How did Lexi know that?Based on Lexi's line from the Christmas episode.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway & Lexi Pearce, Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 10
Kudos: 132





	"He would come back, if you ask him."

**Author's Note:**

> And I wrote another EastEnders story. Never really planned on writing in this fandom, but what can you do?  
> Anyway, I saw the Christmas episode and when Lexi said Callum would come back, if Ben asked him, I wondered how she would know that.  
> Here is my idea on how that came to be.
> 
> I hope you like it and let me know what you think!

**"He would come back, if you ask him."**

Lexi was smart for her age. She picked up on a lot of stuff that was going on around her. Grown ups often didn't pay much attention to her when they thought she was playing in the corner with her toys. Brushing her doll's hair, she made sure to listen to what they said. Colouring with her crayons in her colouring book, she always kept one eye on the other people in the room. Most of the times, what she heard and saw was of little to no interest to her. Boring things only grown ups could get worked up about.

Other times, she could use what she had learned to her advantage. Like the new hiding place for the candy. Or the code for the parental control on the telly.

But the one thing Lexi was really good at was emotions. Like when people were sad. Not just in a bad mood or gloomy about something, no. Proper sad. Where they said they were fine and smiled and laughed and made jokes and went on like nothing was wrong, but when you looked away their face fell and their shoulders dropped like someone cutting the strings on a puppet. And their eyes became dull and like they were a million miles away. Lexi always noticed that and it made her want to hug them until everything was better.

It had been some time since Lexi had seen anyone in her family have that real proper sad look. Her Mum had had it for a while before she had gotten together with Uncle Jay. Lexi had made sure to give her extra long hugs back then. But now everything was fine and everyone in her family was happy, Mum, Dad, Uncle Jay, Grandma Kathy. Her Dad especially was always happy lately and in such a good mood that Lexi got lots of extra candy and to stay up longer and she loved that her Dad was spending more time with her and laughed and played with her.

When she met Callum for the first time, she wasn't so sure what to make of him. Wasn't he going to get married to Whitney not so long ago? But soon enough, Lexi figured out that Callum was a huge part of why her Daddy was so happy. And when Lexi got to know Callum more she really liked him, too. He was funny and kind and so tall that she could see the whole world from his shoulders. Spending time with her Dad and Callum became one of Lexi's favourite things and the day they all went to the Walford Christmas Wonderland was one of the best ever.

She couldn't be happier.

Until she came down the stairs one morning and saw her Daddy sitting on the sofa, staring into the distance. He wasn't supposed to be home. She knew he had wanted to spend the night over at Callum's. Lexi stood at the bottom of the stairs and glimpsed around the corner. It was still early and no one else was up yet. She watched her Daddy. He sat very still and a little hunched. Lexi couldn't see his eyes from her spot, but she would bet all her toys that he looked sad. Proper sad. Lexi didn't know what to do. She wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. But she had a feeling that her Daddy didn't want anyone around at the moment. Didn't want anyone to hug him and make him feel better. He was funny like that some times. So Lexi crept back upstairs and hid under the covers of her bed. _Dear Santa_ , she prayed in her head, _you can keep all my presents this year, if you make my Daddy happy again._

Lexi watched her Dad very closely the next few days. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe he was just in a mood. But no. The more she watched him, saw how he acted and seemed to be busy discussing things with Grandpa Phil, the more Lexi was convinced. He was good at hiding it, really good, but Lexi could see in his eyes how sad he was.

What really baffled her was that no one did anything about it. Didn't they see? How sad her Daddy was? How he just played pretend? It hurt Lexi to think that no one seemed to care or notice but her. It wasn't fair that her Daddy should be proper sad just before Christmas. And where was Callum? He would make her Dad happy again. Lexi knew that. She had secretly watched them together and they looked and smiled at each other like Cinderella and her prince from the movie she had seen with Daddy.

On the morning of Christmas' Eve Lexi decided that if no one else did anything it was up to her. Eating her cereal, she watched her Dad typing on his phone at the other end of the table.

"Daddy?" she asked with her mouth half full.

"Yeah, Princess?"

"Is Callum coming for Christmas tomorrow?"

She could see him freeze.

He kept his eyes firmly on his phone before answering, "Afraid not, sweetheart. Callum's very busy, ya know. Might not see him for a while."

"Oh. Okay."

Hanging her head, Lexi stared at the milk in her bowl. She had hoped that she just had to get Callum here and everything would be alright again. But why wouldn't he come? What could he be doing that was more important than spending Christmas with them? She didn't understand.

At the other end of the table, her Dad sighed silently and put his phone down before getting up.

"Put your bowl away when you're done, yeah?" he said, kissed her on the head and went upstairs.

A few minutes later Lexi heard the water being turned on in the bathroom. Making a lightning quick decision, she grabbed her Daddy's phone and hid in her secret hiding place. Sitting underneath winter coats and jackets she scrolled through her Dad's contacts until she found Callum's name. She knew her Daddy would be mad when he found out she had taken his phone, but she needed Callum to come and make her Daddy happy again.

With a pounding heart, Lexi clicked on Callum's name. It ringed three times before he picked up.

"Ben?"

His voice sounded hopeful and Lexi felt bad.

"It's me. I took Daddy's phone."

"Lexi! Hi."

His voice immediately changed and Lexi knew that he was pretending to be fine and like nothing was wrong and hiding behind a smile. So he was proper sad, too. Like her Dad.

Oh.

If her Daddy was sad and Callum was sad, maybe Callum couldn't make her Daddy happy again. Maybe they were fighting.

She bit her lip, thinking.

"Lexi, is everything okay? Is anyone hurt?" Callum asked into the long stretch of silence.

"Can you come for Christmas tomorrow?" she blurted out.

She had to try!

Silence.

"I...Lexi, I can't. I'm sorry. I have..."

She could hear him swallow.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Why not?"

Lexi grew impatient. Why were grown ups always making things difficult?

"I have to go away for a few days. And..." He paused again. "Look, you should talk to your Dad, yeah?"

"But Daddy is so sad without you. Why can't you come? He would be really happy if you did! And I want you to come, too. It's more fun when you're here."

She needed him to come so they could all be happy and celebrate Christmas together.

"Don't you want to spend Christmas with us?"

"Of course I do. Really."

He sounded so sure that Lexi believed him.

"Then why?"

Suddenly, a horrible thought occurred to her.

"Don't...don't you like Daddy anymore?" she whispered, afraid of his answer.

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

"That ain't it, Lex. I swear. I like your Dad very much."

There was a weird choking sound and Lexi realised that Callum was crying. That wasn't right. She didn't want to make him cry.

"It's just," he continued with a voice that didn't sound like his at all, "I don't think your Dad likes me all that much anymore."

Oh. _Oh_.

"But...he's so sad without you."

Lexi didn't understand. She was sure that her Daddy still liked Callum and wanted to be with him. But why didn't Callum think that, too?

"He's just busy at the moment. I'm sure everything's fine tomorrow and you all have an amazing Christmas together, yeah?"

And oh, he sounded so, so sad. Lexi was a hundred per cent sure that her Dad wanted to be with Callum. But she also knew that this was something the grown ups had to figure out themselves and where she could do nothing.

However, she had to be sure of one thing.

"If he asks you, would you come back?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I would. In a heartbeat."

Lexi nodded to herself.

"Happy Christmas, Callum."

"Happy Christmas, Lexi.“


End file.
